A Halifax woman with terminal cancer who plans to end her life on Thursday says Canada’s assisted dying legislation needs to be improved.
Audrey Parker, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer in 2016, says the two-year-old law will allow her to end her prolonged suffering.
However, the outspoken 57-year-old woman says the law has forced her to chose to die sooner than she would like.
The problem is that the law says anyone approved for a medically assisted death must be conscious and mentally sound at the moment they give their final consent for a lethal injection.
Parker says that provision means she would be denied her wish to end her life if she were to suddenly become incapacitated by her advanced illness or the pain medication she is taking.
She says the law should be changed to allow for so-called advance requests, which would allow her caregiver to administer the drugs even if she was unable to give her consent.
The federal government has tasked a panel on independent experts to study the issue, and their report is expected to be tabled in Parliament in December.
This woman is absolutely right and just another example of how our government has the ability to screw up anything short of the Lord’s prayer, and they are just trying to eliminate that.
They are also now going to allow lil children to commit assisted suicide without parents’ knowledge or permission. This is sick and I don’t agree with this at all. I do feel for people who are suffering terribly, but govts should not be deciding life and death. That’s God’s role.
they cant get anything right
I disagree with you on this. She still has some life in her now so why would she want to die. One day she is going to be in a lot of pain & a burden on Society. I watched my Dad suffer before he died. Near the end he was so doped up on Morphine. He had no desire to end his life early, whereas when Mom’s time came, her & I had many talks about this. I’m all for Assisted Suicide. Now, my brother found out he had schizophrenic & killed himself. They figured it took 20 minutes before he actually died. What a horrible way to go. I’m not saying he should have that option, as he was not terminal, but for someone who has no hope should be able to make that decision ahead of time.
I’d like to make an advanced request for our PM.